A glassy carbon electrode modified with an iron N4-macrocycle and reduced graphene oxide for voltammetric sensing of dissolved oxygen

Abstract

The authors describe a platform for the electrochemical reduction of oxygen. It is based on the use of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) that was modified in a single-step microwave assisted reaction with a N4-macrocycle containing iron(III) (FeN4) and with reduced graphene oxide. The FeN4/rGO composite was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Cyclic voltammetry showed the composite to enable efficient reduction of O2 at a very low overpotential (−0.05 V vs. Ag/AgCl). SECM measurements were carried out to map (in the redox competition mode) the activity of a GCE microelectrode modified with FeN4/rGO. Under optimized conditions, the response to dissolved O2 ranges from 0.8 up to 25 mg⋅L‾1, and the limit of detection is 0.2 mg⋅L‾1.